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“ Welcome, Papa!”
QhREE little forms, in the twilight gray,
Q J Scanning the shadows across the way:
Six little eyes, four black and two blue,
Brim full of lore and happiness too,
f Watching for ’pa.
May, with her placid and thoughtful brow;
Gentle face beaming with smiles just now ;
Willie, the rogue, so loving and gay,
Stealing sly kisses from sister May,
Watching for ’pa.
Nelly, with ringlets of sunny hue,
Cosily nestled between the two,
Pressing her cheek to the window-pane,
Wishing the absent one home again,
Watching for ’pa.
Oh, how they gaze at the passers-by !
“He’s coming at last 1” they gaily cry :
“ Look again, my pets 1” exclaims mamma;
And Nelly adds, “ There’s the twilight star
Watching for ’pa.”
Soon joyous shouts from the window-scat
And eager patter of childish feet,
Gay musical chimes ring through the hall,
A manly voice responds to the call,
“ Welcome, Papa.”
4~»*
Written for Burke’s Weekly,
JACK DOBELL;
Or, A Boy’s Adventures in Texas.
A STORY FOR BOYS.
CHAPTER XVII.
COMFORTABLE QUARTERS AGAIN —A WELL
FURNISHED HOUSE AND A GOOD LIBRARY
—MAKING THE MOST OF A RAINY DAY —
NO ROAD THROUGH THE CANE-BRAKE —
“ HOME AGAIN ” —NEARLY CAPTURED BY
MEXICANS —FLACCO CHOKED INTO GOOD
BEHAVIOR —CAMPING OUT AGAIN —RE
TURN TO OLD QUARTERS
eROM the place where
“Flacco” came up with
me, I traveled on five or
six miles further, where
I came to a trail leading
from the open prairie to
rn brake. Along this trail
traces of wagon wheels
4? were distinctly visible. I follow
ed it for some distance, and at length
came to where it entered the brake. Af
ter crossing a strip of the brake about
two hundred yards in width, and a lagoon
near the centre of it, spanned by a bridge
of rough logs, I came to a small prairie,
perhaps half a mile in length and a quar
ter in width.
At the lower end of this prairie I ob
served a house, to which the trail I was
pursuing evidently led. When I had ap
proached to within three or four hundred
yards of it, I halted for a few moments
to reconnoiter the premises. I heard the
crowing of chicken cocks, and also the
squeaking of pigs, but as I saw no smoke
issuing from the chimnies, or any other
signs indicating that the building was
occupied, I at length ventured up. There j
were great numbers of pigs, ducks and ’
BURKE’S WEEKLY.
chickens in the yard, but no dogs came
out to welcome Flacco and myself.
The house was a comfortable log build
ing containing four rooms, with a wide
passage between them, and a broad piazza
in front, and was sheltered by some mag
nificent live oak and pecan trees. Every
thing in the house remained just as it was
when abandoned by its inhabitants, from
which I inferred that it had never been
visited by the Mexicans. Indeed, so se
cluded was the situation, and so complete
ly hidden from view by the strip of cane
upon the bayou I have before mentioned,
that no one passing along the main pra
irie outside would ever have suspected
that a settlement was so near by. The
rooms were furnished in a style seldom
seen in the country at that time, which,
together with the number of out-houses,
negro quarters, etc., convinced me that
it had been the residence of some wealthy
planter. Among other things not often
seen in Texas at that early day, I noticed
quite a large library in one of the rooms,
and I resolved before leaving, that I would
appropriate one or two of the most port
able books it contained for my amuse
ment on the road. In the adjacent out
buildings I found a large store of corn, a
quantity of bacon, a sack or two of coffee,
and several barrels of sugar, etc.
By the time I had made a complete ex
amination of the premises, it had clouded
up and commenced raining, and as there
was every indication of continued bad
weather, I thought it would be advisable
to wait at least until it cleared up before
I took the road again, particularly as I
had got into such comfortable quarters.
Like Robinson Crusoe upon his island, I
was the “ monarch of all I surveyed,” and
taking advantage of my accidental privi
leges, I proceeded to make myself at
home without the least ceremony. I
lolled upon the sofas, I read the books in
the library, killed, cooked and ate a fat
chicken for my dinner, and at night, after
supping luxuriously upon boiled eggs and
ajar ot preserved peaches, I turned into
a handsome double bed, between clean
white sheets, and with Flacco to keep
watch by the door, I slept like a prince
until the sun was high in the heavens.
For my breakfast I had fried chicken,
hot coffee, and “ash-cake,” to which I
did ample justice, and filling my haver
sack with a fresh supply of provisions, I
took the road again, with Flacco trotting
at my heels. Little did I think at the
time that nine days would elapse before
I should bid a final adieu to these com
fortable quarters ; yet such was the fact.
All that day I searched in vain for
some road or path leading across the in
terminable cane-brake that barred niy
progress. Occasionally I found a cattle
or deer trail running into it, but they
either gave out entirely after penetrating
it a short distance, or else they split up
into half a dozen blind paths, that did
not seem to lead anywhere, or in any par
ticular direction. Wearied and disheart
ened by my failure, I returned just before
sunset to my “ domains,” feasted again
upon fried chicken, eggs and preserves
and again took possession of my double
bedstead for the night.
The next day the same programme was
gone through with, and the next, and the
next, with the same results, until I almost
began to despair of ever finding a wav
through this apparently endless wilder
ness of briars, brush and cane. However,
it was some consolation to me to know
that after the fatigues and disappoint
ments of the day, I had such good quar
ters to fall back on at night. Neverthe
less, I was extremely anxious to get on,
and one morning I started out with the
determination that I would follow up the
cane-brake until night overtook me, pro
vided I did not meet with some road cross
ing it before that time.
I went on, examining carefully every
nook and indentation without success,
until I had traveled, I suppose, ten or
twelve miles. I then struck out into the
prairie, and ere long came to a well-beat
en road running parallel with the cane
brake. This I followed, and ivas travel
ing leisurely along it, when I heard the
clattering of horses hoofs, and turning to
look, I saw a party of Mexican lancers
coming up rapidly behind me, and not
more than three or four hundred yards
distant. There was not a tree or shrub
to screen me nearer than the main body
of the timber fully three-quarters ot a
mile off to the left, and I knew it would
be useless to attempt to make my retreat
in that direction. For a moment, I gave
myself up for lost, but fortunately there
was a rank growth of grass upon one side
of the road, and as there was no time foi
consideration, I seized Flacco by the col
lar, and dragging him fifteen or tweni)
places from the road, I forced him dosn
in the grass and laid myself across him,
graspfing him tightly around the neck to
prevent him from growling or barking at
the Mexicans when they came up. ki a
few moments they came oppiosite to the
pdace where we were lying in the gia
and halted. Through the interstices oi
the grass I could see them plainly
could also hear them talking, but not v> ]t 1
sufficient distinctness to understands li |
was said. Flacco, too, was perfectly as al
of their proximity to us, for he g‘ n 0 ‘